Message from the President
Greetings one and all. I hope you
have had success in tucking your boats away and battening down the hatches in
preparation for the winter season.
Your executive has continued to meet
through the fall. We also have welcomed the inclusion of Claudette Pintwalla as
the South Channel Association rep for the Georgian Bay Association.
One of the constant pressures faced
by our association is finding a way to increase membership. In this newsletter
you will find a copy of handout you will get with your 2002 membership. We are
looking at ways of getting our message out-- one of them being that this
handout can be delivered to friends and neighbours on the channel who have not
yet "seen the light" and joined the association, or perhaps have let
their membership slide.
There are activities afoot that we
currently involved in, which will affect all cottagers, up and down the
channel, whether they are members or not. So, it is important to get them on
board. There is no reason why South Channel Association members should do all
the work and non-members reap the benefits.
For example, we are currently
looking at options with regards to the amalgamation of townships. An
amalgamation with Georgian Bay township no longer seems viable. It would seem
the best solution would be to re-look at a governance model that addresses the
special needs of our area. Chapter 23 of the Province of Ontario's Planning
Document allows us to do that. To that end, a motion was passed at the Deerhorn
conference on November 3, attended by myself:
"That the Township of the
Archipelago be requested to proceed ASAP to pursue permanent alternate
governance in discussion with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure
implementation of the East Georgian Bay Littoral Biosphere Reserve consistent
with the objectives of the Great Lakes Heritage Coast."
Tracy Biggar